1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to electrical stimulation of neuromuscular activity in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract by artificial gastric pacemakers. More specifically, the invention is a device and method for the placement of electrodes in the GI tract.
2. Description of the Related Art
Electrical impulses can be used to stimulate contractions in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, much as an artificial pacemaker can stimulate contractions in the heart. Gastric electrical stimulation (GES) can be used in the treatment of gastroparesis, a disorder in which food moves through the stomach more slowly than normal, among other GI disorders. Electrical impulses can also be used to decrease appetite. The precise effect of GES appears dependent on the location of electrodes used to provide electrical stimulus, as well as the amplitude and frequency of the applied electrical impulse.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,411,507, issued on Nov. 19, 1965 to R. Wingrove, discloses a method of gastrointestinal stimulation with electrical pulses, for the management of the condition often referred to as paralytic ileus. The method involves nasogastrically placing a first electrode into a patient's stomach in proximity to or past the pyloric valve. A second electrode is applied to the patient's body at a convenient location such as the abdominal wall, and electrical impulses are applied between the electrodes. The result of the impulses is the inducement of peristaltic waves, and the restoration of peristaltic activity.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,292,344, issued on Mar. 8, 1994 to D. Douglas, discloses a percutaneously placed electrical gastrointestinal pacemaker stimulatory system including, as part of the system, a tubular device having one or more electrodes protruding from an end bolster. The device extends through the skin with the end bolster held in position against the inner lining of the gastrointestinal tract. Electrodes extending from the end bolster are pre-bent and partially insulated “tentacles” intended to contact the gastrointestinal mucosa. A plurality of electrodes is provided to ensure that, once the device is placed, at least one electrode is in contact with the mucosa.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,690,691, issued on November 25 to J. Chen et al., discloses a gastrointestinal pacemaker having phased multi-point stimulation. A portable or implantable gastric pacemaker includes multiple electrodes that are positionable on the inner or outer surface of an organ in the gastrointestinal tract, the multiple electrodes being positioned at multiple sites.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,542,776, issued on Apr. 1, 2003 to P. Gordon et al., discloses a gastric stimulator apparatus and a method for installing the apparatus. The apparatus comprises an implantable pulse generator, a lead system, and an electrode assembly or implant device. The apparatus is installed, preferably, through a trocar inserted through the patients skin. A series of trocars may be installed to allow for access of surgical instruments, as well as for a laparoscope to allow viewing of the attachment process.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,535,764, issued on Mar. 18, 2003 to M. Imran et al., discloses a gastric treatment device and method that includes an electronic stimulation device, which is attached to the interior of the stomach by an anchor device. The anchor device may have an electrode that contacts the stomach wall when the device is implanted through the stomach wall. A contact on the anchor device connects the electrode electrically to an electronic circuit within the stimulation device once the stimulation device is placed onto the anchor.
To the best of the inventor's knowledge, currently gastric electrodes are implanted by either laparascopic or open surgical techniques. There is a need for a device and method for placement of electrodes in the gastrointestinal tract by endoscopic techniques. This is because it is desirable, in any form of GES therapy, to minimize the surgically invasive nature of procedures used to implant electrodes, and to minimize risks associated with general anesthesia and surgical techniques including bleeding, infection, pain, and others.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed. Thus, the device and method for placement of electrodes in the GI tract of the present invention solving the aforementioned problems is desired.